


Last Hurrah

by ice_cream_assassin



Series: californication [3]
Category: Political RPF - UK 20th-21st c.
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-04
Updated: 2012-10-04
Packaged: 2017-11-15 14:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/528432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ice_cream_assassin/pseuds/ice_cream_assassin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rohan is getting married. Steve is invited. Angsty shenanigans follow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Last Hurrah

The wedding invite from Rohan arrived in a crisp white envelope. Steve turned it over in his hands, marvelling that the envelope retained its pure white colour, before breaking the seal and removing the contents. The invitation and response cards were sparse, elegantly simple, which made sense since Ro’s bride was an architect and the architects that Steve had known liked sharp, modern, stark designs. 

Rachel doesn’t ask about the invitation straight away. She allowed Steve time to process its arrival and what it could possibly herald for his friendship with Ro. She pounced the next morning while putting a heaping teaspoon of sugar with a generous splash of cream in her morning coffee. 

“You’ve been quiet.” She said, looking at Steve from above the rim of her bright red coffee mug. Her brows arched and her intense stare forced Steve to look down into his mug of tea leaves and hot water. 

“Ro is getting married.” 

She nodded, busying her hands by picking apart the large bagel she was having for breakfast. “Thinking about going?” 

The thought had briefly crossed his mind, but he wasn’t sure and he had new responsibilities to Stanford, to his students and it was Ro getting married, making Steve feel confused. He should be happy, not whatever this strange feeling is that he has been mulling about since receiving the pristine invite. 

“You should.” Rachel concluded, not waiting for Steve’s answer.

“Okay. I’ll take care of the planning. The date is set for September 29th. When do you want to fly out?” 

“You should go alone.” 

“I thought you liked Rohan.” 

She smiled slightly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I do, but I’ll just get in the way. Go, have a good time. 

He checked again with Rachel before sending his RSVP back to England. Steve received the same awkward smile and perplexing response. It also happened when she dropped him off at the airport. 

“I’m sure Ro, won’t mind if you tag along. He might find it funny to have a wedding crasher.” 

She at least gave Steve’s remark a soft giggle. “You’ll have more fun without me. What happens in London, stays in London.” 

“This isn’t a shotgun wedding in Vegas.” 

“I know, but whatever happens, I don’t want to know.” And she kissed him, sending him off through security. 

++

Steve arrived back in London, the city familiar and welcoming beneath a veil of fog. Rachel was adamant about not leaving California. He remained confused by her subtle smile and sad eyes; her odd words about getting in the way and whatever happens, she doesn’t want to know. 

He was alone and had two days to kill until Saturday’s festivities. Contacting David was out of the question. The PM was away, visiting Brazil. Anyway, Steve would be connecting with him soon enough to nail down the details of his conference speech. Michael Gove already had plans to attend the opera with Osborne. He asked Steve to tag along, but Steve refused knowing that five hours of being in a small box with Osborne could possibly qualify as torture under the Geneva Convention. Everyone knew Osborne liked to sing and five hours of him trying to sing along to German opera, Steve was going to pass on. He then sent a text message to Rohan letting him know that he landed safely and Ro quickly followed up. 

_We should go to the pub. Catch up with each other. One last hurrah before I turn in my bachelor card_

Not in the mood for drinking

_Then you can be my sober conscious and make sure I don’t do anything stupid._

++

Their evening began with twilight; the sun had given way to a soft shade of cobalt blue. Stars peeked out among hazy cloud cover. They grinned, amused by the unintentional coordination of wearing striped shirts of different colours underneath their jackets. It is like Steve hasn’t been gone for months at all when they fall into easy conversations about reshuffles, the failures of Team Dre, and the quirks of Steve’s more problematic but intelligent undergraduates. 

And Ro doesn’t do anything stupid. In fact he doesn’t even really bother making a go of getting drunk, stopping after two pints of lager. When the evening ends, Ro used his mobile to call for a cab. They waited outside in the crisp air, companionable silence surrounded them.

“Thank you.” Rohan finally said. 

“For what?” 

A blush crept up on his cheeks and Ro’s left foot tried to draw a pattern into the sidewalk. “I wasn’t sure if you would show up.” 

Steve grinned and tilted his head up so he could meet the oddly affectionate gaze Rohan cast at him. “Rachel is sorry should couldn’t make it.”

“That’s okay.” Ro doesn’t have to add that he is glad she isn’t here; his expression and body language say it for him. He stepped closer, but Steve held ground, not stepping away. “You didn’t have to leave me.” 

“You know I had to.” The meaning of Rachel’s words and looks became clearer now, giving him a sudden understanding of another layer beneath Rohan’s loyalty to him. “I’m sorry.” 

Oblivious to their surroundings, Steve traced Ro’s bottom lip with his thumb, emotions flooding Steve’s senses. And he is sorry, that he left, that he never realized this until now. Ro’s dark eyes were shut, probably for the better as Steve scrutinized him, wondering how he perfected the art of looking like he just rolled out of bed with his messy black hair and his scruffy stubble. He tried to memorize as much of this moment as possible since he knew there would not be another chance. 

“I’m going to do something incredibly stupid.” Steve’s voice dropped low, sounding husky even to his ears. 

“I’m not planning on stopping you.” Ro took Steve’s hand and placed it on his hip. His self-confidence was much improved since Steve’s departure and the gesture encouraged Steve to follow this impulse, to chase something fleeting. 

His hand tightened its hold on Ro’s hip while his fingers thread into Rohan’s thick hair. Everything was breathless and pounding, as he looked up and pulled Ro down. Just a peck against Ro’s chapped lips, nothing earth shattering but it made Steve’s knees buckle with that undercurrent spark that had been forming, building up between him and Rohan since first working together. A slight pause before Ro responded, starting the exchange of lazy kisses that grew into something more intense, as he swiped his tongue over Steve’s lips

The polite beep of the cab’s horn interrupted. A cold hand on the back of Rohan’s neck held their faces close as Steve whispered to him.

“The taxi…my hotel room or your flat?”

“It won’t change anything." 

“My room or your flat?” Steve repeated, feeling that perhaps he had stepped over some line designating a boundary they never thought about crossing before tonight. They entered the black cab. Steve gave the driver the address for his hotel. Rohan remained silent, not voicing a protest or offering the address of his flat. 

++

Rohan slipped out at dawn without a word. Her. Him. Them. Steve does not shame or blame. Even Ro admitted beforehand nothing would change anyway. Their night, the last hurrah before the girl that was going to be Ro’s new beginning, his future without Steve.


End file.
